Susan G. Komen Foundation, the promoter of the heavily trademarked Race for the Cure, told its affiliates today that they aren't allowed to fund local Planned Parenthood operations that screen low-income women for breast cancer. The parent organization didn't fund Planned Parenthood in 2009-2010, according to its Form 990, (large PDF here), which doesn't show Planned Parenthood on its list of recipients of $5,000 or more, but some of the local organizations do.
The Komen Foundation ignited a firestorm around the blogosphere and the rest of the American internet.
The Foundation's stated reason for ordering its affiliates not to fund Planned Parenthood's breast cancer screening program is that its new national policy is not to fund institutions that are under any form of federal investigation. Apparently a federal agency is investigating whether Planned Parenthood uses federal funds for abortions, something prohibited by the Hyde Amendment several years back. That was enough of a reason for the Komen Foundation to cease funding Planned Parenthood.
The Komen Foundation has the right to fund whomever it wishes, as long as it follows the tax laws and hews to its mission. In using this rule as an excuse to cut off the funding to Planned Parenthood, the Foundation's trustees didn't think this one through. Komen funds a lot of universities. What are the odds that some bright soul (possibly even me) will discover that it's funding several universities whose athletic departments are being investigated, or even whose medical schools are being audited for use of federal grant money? (For example, its most recent Form 990 discloses a large grant to the University of Pennsylvania.) It's funded Columbia University. It's funded Northwestern University. It's funded University of California - Davis. I'll predict that by the day after tomorrow, there will be a news report listing a dozen more institutions that the Komen Foundation has funded that are under some form of federal investigation. Stay tuned!